Systems for printing involve trade-offs made by the manufacturer to achieve a solution that is acceptable for a majority of consumers. A printer manufacturer may have a variety of printer models, each focused on a different segment of consumers.
For example, a printer manufacturer may have one or more models that are focused on consumers wishing to print photographs that have been scanned-in or downloaded to a computer from a digital camera. The same manufacturer may also sell other printers that are color but are not marketed as photograph printers.
The different printers are typically focused on different markets and uses by storing the color tables, dithering algorithms, and print characteristics for different print media in the printer's memory. A printer that is being marketed as a photograph printer may have a different color table and dithering algorithm than, for example, a lower cost printer that is marketed towards an everyday printer for all uses.
The more models that a manufacturer offers, the greater their costs. The manufacturer must be able to support each model with technical support, sales staff training, and other costs associated with each printer.
Due to these costs, a printer manufacturer may be reluctant to enter a niche market if they do not anticipate enough sales to make the manufacturing and marketing costs for the niche printer worthwhile. This may reduce the competition available for printers in a niche market while also increasing the cost of the printers due to lack of demand.
An additional problem is that technology and materials are limited by what is available at the time of design and development of the printer. A certain color or print media that is desired by a large corporate customer may not be available when the printer is being designed and the color tables and dithering algorithms are burned into the printer's memory. The printer manufacturer must now redesign the printer to take those desired qualities into account. This results in more design costs, greater delay to market, and lost sales for the manufacturer. There is a resulting need for a more flexible printing system that can be updated rapidly and inexpensively to take into account changing markets and consumer desires.